DVD Releases for January 13, 2009

January 13th, 2009

It's still early in the year and people are dealing with the bills from their Christmas shopping, which means they don't have as much disposable income. This reduces the demand for DVDs, and studios are hesitant to put out marquee releases. Looking at this week's selection, you can really tell. At the top of the list, Supercop - 2-Disc Special Edition is probably the best bet, but Appaloosa on either DVD or Blu-ray is up there as well.

Alvin and the Chipmunks - The Chipettes - Buy from Amazon
The latest single-disc release featuring episodes from the 1980s version of the Chipmunks. This time around there are 6 shorts, all featuring the Chipettes: Brittany, Jeanette, and Eleanor. These three are the female equivalent of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore, and I mean that literally. If you took the Chipmunks and put them in dresses, you would have the Chipettes. A little variation in character depth would have been appreciated.

The shorts on this DVD include...

May be Best Chipmunk Win - The Chipettes arrive at Alvin, Simon, and Theodore's school, and at first the boys are happy. That is until Brittany decides to run for school president against Alvin, which heats up the rivalry between the two groups.

Operation Theodore - The Chipettes are volunteering as candy stripers when Theodore comes in to bring Eleanor her homework. But after Brittany loses a patient, he helps her cover it up while she searches. The plan works fine, until he is carried away for surgery.

Sisters - Brittany tries to join the Sisters, the clique in her school for the most popular girls. However, Jeanette could spoil her chances due to her unpopularity, so she avoids her real sister.

The Greatest Show-offs on Earth - The Chipmunks and the Chipettes volunteer at Alvin's uncle's circus to help keep it afloat.

My Fair Chipette - Alvin brags to Brittany that he can turn any girl into a beauty pageant winner, and the girl chosen is Jeanette, of course. Only six shorts on this DVD, and already two of them focus on Jeanette being a klutz.

Tell it to the Judge - Alvin and Brittany get into a little accident and Alvin's bike and Brittany's roller skates are damaged, and they both blame each other. In the end, they end suing each other on Public Court.

There are no extras on the DVD, nor are there any subtitles. But there is a play all button, as well as proper chapter placements.

I don't remember enjoying this show as a kid, but as an adult, those voices drive me up the wall. Also, some of the episodes are really starting to show their age in terms of video quality. (I noticed a line through much of Tell it to the Judge, which was quite distracting.) Also, each episode when it aired on TV included two segments, meaning this single-disc release has the equivalent to three episodes, and it is quite pricey on a per-minute basis for a TV on DVD release. That said, if you are a fan of Alvin and the Chipmunks and have been happy with the previous DVD releases, then The Chipettes is also worth checking out, as it offers the same value. (In fact, the episodes here are better than most of the movie spoofs they put out, for instance.) Also look for A Chipmunk Valentine.

Appaloosa - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-rayEd Harris's first turn in the director's chair since Pollack. This film didn't earn as strong reviews, but did something most limited releases were not able to do last year: expand. It did well enough theatrically that the extras on DVD and Blu-ray are on par with those of most wide releases (audio commentary track, deleted scenes, making-of featurettes, etc.). Sadly, the Blu-ray has no additional features, but at least it looks great in High Definition, while its price is right on the border between being worth the upgrade or not. Worth checking out for many, picking up for fans of the genre.

Breakfast at Tiffany's - Paramount Centennial Collection - Buy from Amazon
The first of two Paramount Centennial Collection releases this week, both of which feature Audrey Hepburn. Here she plays Holly Golightly, a naive socialite who earns money by going on dates with men, and by unknowingly passing on information to an incarcerated mob boss. Her goal is to find a millionaire to marry so she can live happily ever after. One day she meets Paul Varjek a writer who hasn't published anything in five years and who is living as a... I think the term is gigolo. Despite their two situations, Paul quickly falls for Holly, but she has her heart set on marrying rich to avoid going back to her humble beginnings.

This movie earned excellent reviews and was nominated for five Oscars, winning two of them. It is widely regarded as Audrey Hepburn's most iconic role, and she and George Peppard are wonderful in the movie. But the character of Mr. Yunioshi just kills the movie for me. Mr. Yunioshi is Holly Golightly's upstairs neighbor, who is a Japanese man constantly complaining about her behavior. The character itself is rather stereotypical, but the fact that the actor is Mickey Rooney, a white actor, changes the character from mildly racist, to cringe inducing. My instinctive reaction to his character appearing on screen is to grab the remote and skip ahead. This is a real shame, because outside of that, this is a great movie, and I love the chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard.

This is the fifth film in the Paramount Centennial Collection, and the selection of extras lives up to previous releases. Things start with an audio commentary track with one of the producers, Richard Shepherd; this is not a very energetic track, but there's more than enough information to make it is worth listening too. The rest of the extras are on disc 2, including featurettes on Audrey Hepburn; the music that won two Oscars (Best Original Score and Best Original Song); on the character of Mr. Yunioshi. I'm glad they brought this up and didn't whitewash the issue. Add in the rest and it adds up to nearly 100 minutes of featurettes, which is almost as long as the movie itself. A great package.

Brick Lane - Buy from Amazon
Set in the Bangladeshi community in London, this movie deals with topics like arranged marriage and racial tensions after 9/11. The book it is based on earned awards; however, the movie only earned moderately positive reviews while working its way to just over $1 million at the box office. The DVD has plenty of extras, including an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, interviews, etc., and it is worth checking out. Call it a solid rental, leaning to a purchase.

Brideshead Revisted - Buy from Amazon
One of several films on this week's list where the DVD screener is late. This one is a period piece set in England just prior to World War II. The film earned good reviews, but not great reviews. Likewise, it did well for a limited release, but never truly expanded wide. Finally, the DVD is also middle of the road with an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, and making-of featurette. Worth checking out, but I'm not sure if it is worth buying over renting.

Captains and the Kings - Buy from Amazon
A TV mini-series from 1976 that is about a Irish immigrant family that went from rags to riches but whose political ambitions nearly destroyed them. The film earned 8 Emmy nominations, including two wins, but the 3-disc set only has an interview as bonus material.

Dallas - Season 10 - Buy from Amazon
I am not a fan of this show, but even those that are will admit it had jumped the shark by this point. Add in a DVD release that is well below par (29 episodes crammed onto three flipper discs) and you have a DVD that is just not worth the price.

Granted, Funny Face is a bit fluffy, as were most musicals from that era, but the cast has more than enough charm to draw in viewers. The 'ugly ducking' story is rather familiar at times, and quite frankly I think Audrey Hepburn looked great at the beginning of the movie, before her transformation, but overall it still works.

Extras on the 2-disc set are all on disc two, starting with a featurette on a Kay Thompson, who was an actress, a singer, and a writer. This is Vistavision runs just under 25 minutes and is about VistaVision, which was developed in the 1950s to combat the competition from television. Fashion Photographers Exposed in an 18-minute featurette on what it takes to create a fashion shoot. The Fashion Designer and his Muse runs 8 minutes long and is about Hubert Givienchy and his work with Audrey Hepburn. Parisian Dreams talks about the Parisian sets and what photographer Richard Avedon brought to the film. The final featurette is Paramount in the 50s and this 10-minute featurette is exactly what it sounds like. There are also the original trailer, as an few image galleries.

This is not the first time this movie has been released on DVD, nor is it the first special edition DVD. In fact, Funny Face was released on a 50th Anniversary Edition barely more than a year ago. That said, the Paramount Centennial Collection is a improvement over the previous releases. For fans of musicals from that era, or for fans of Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, this is a movie that is worth owning. I'm not sure if it is worth upgrading, on the other hand. It is too close to call.

Humboldt County - Buy from Amazon
After getting a failing grade from a difficult professor, who just happens to be his father, Peter decides to unwind, but ends up in Humboldt county, which is a little too relaxed for his high tension lifestyle. The film earned mixed reviews and went nowhere at the box office. The DVD has better than expected extras including an audio commentary track, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes, interviews, etc. Worth checking out, but give it a rental first.

Imaginary Witness - Buy from Amazon
A documentary look at Hollywood and the Holocaust. A fascinating look at how the movies have portrayed one of the most devastating events in human history. Even with no extras, it is still worth checking out for most, picking up for many.

Little Britain USA - Buy from AmazonLittle Britain was a sketch comedy show that was a little too British, even for me. Now it is being transplanted in America, and results are mixed. Some complain that it is a watered-down version of the original, others think the shock value has been increased. Some say it is much funnier, others say you can't even compare the two. If you were a fan of the original, give it s rental first. Even if you haven't seen the original, give it a rental.

Lovejoy - Season 4 - Buy from Amazon
While Ian McShane is probably best known here as Al Swearengen from Deadwood, he will be thought of as the roughish Lovejoy for a lot of people. This 4-disc set is expensive on a per minute basis, but that is common for imports, as are the weak extras. That said, for fans of the series, it is still worth picking up. And if you have never seen it before, give it a rental.

Make 'Em Laugh - The Funny Business Of America - Buy from Amazon
6-part TV documentary about comedy in America. Despite being six hours long, it is not nearly long enough to be comprehensive, and those looking for more than a smattering of information on numerous subjects will be disappointed.

Matlock - Season Two - Buy from Amazon
A long running show that first aired in 1986 and ran for nearly a decade. In the show Andy Griffith plays Ben Matlock, a high priced defense attorney from Atlanta, who always seems to find innocent, less than rich clients, to defend each week (I guess he wouldn't be as compelling helping rich clients walk each week). This courtroom drama was incredible popular during its day, and never really lost its popularity. In fact, if was canceled not because of poor ratings, but because the demographics, which tended to tilt towards older viewers (there's a reason The Simpsons chose this show as Grandpa's favorite).

This season starts off with a two-part episode, The Billionaire, which introduced Nancy Stafford as Michelle Thomas, who would become Matlock's right hand woman for the next five years. I like the Nancy Stafford / Kene Holliday years, as Michelle Thomas was the best sidekick while Tyler Hudson added humor as the P.I. However, cast changes aside, this show had a very solid formula that it rarely deviates from. Normally this would make the show feel repetitive; however, thanks to great writing and the charming cast, it is very much a positive here. You can watch practically any episode from any season in any order and enjoy it equally. For the most part, you don't have to worry about soap opera storylines or cheap stunts.

Speaking of cheap stunts, there is one this season for the episode The Hucksters. When the show first aired, viewers were asked to vote for who the murderer should be, and based on their votes one of three endings was shown. You can watch the episode as it originally aired, including the part where they ask for your vote, or you can choose the ending you want, or you can watch the three endings separately. However, there's only really 15 seconds of alternate footage, and sadly, that's all there is in terms of extras on this 6-disc set.

Over the course of this season, Matlock travels to London, Hollywood, Las Vegas, and more, defending professional wrestlers, former classmates, members of the mob, and more. This is a very good show, one that I watched when it first aired. In fact, I remembered about half the episodes before the first commercial break. That said, while Matlock - Season Two is worth checking out, the 6-disc set is rather bare bones, and it is hard to recommend buying over just renting.

Mirrors - Buy from Amazon: DVD or Blu-ray
Another movie where the screener is late. This horrorremake starred Kiefer Sutherland as a security guard dealing with haunted mirrors, or something like that. I'll do a full spotlight review when the screener arrives. But given the reviews, I'm not hopeful.

My Bloody Valentine - Buy from Amazon
The remake to this Canadianhorror film hits theaters this Friday, while the DVD came out today, and the DVD screener is officially late. I'll get the spotlight review online as soon as possible after it arrives. If it arrives. If not, I will mention that this release contains the extended edition, which is incredibly hard to find, and that alone should please fans of the genre.

The Order of Myths - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about the oldest Mardi Gras celebration in the new world, which has been going on in Mobile, Alabama since the 1700s, and it is still segregated. This movie earned flawless reviews, but never found an audience during its theatrical run. Now it gets a second chance, and with extras that include an audio commentary track, Q&A session, and more it is worth picking up over just renting.

Patti Smith - Dream of Life - Buy from Amazon
A documentary about Patti Smith, the singer / songwriter / poet / "Godmother of Punk". The film earned mixed reviews with some critics complaining that there's not enough context, others complaining that the director was too enamored by Patti Smith to be objective, and yet others complaining that the film is not comprehensive enough. However, there are almost no complaints about the quality of the music; there were some comments that there's not enough of it in the movie, though. The DVD has close to an hour of additional footage, which makes it a solid rental, leaning towards a purchase.

Reba - Season Five - Buy from Amazon
The penultimate season of this popular sitcom starring Reba McEntire. In fact, since the show's sixth and final season was cut short, this is the last full release. Fans of the show will be happy to get it all on DVD, but the quality is lacking here, as all 22 episodes are crammed onto 2 discs with absolutely no extras.

Jackie Chan stars as Chen Chia-chu, a Hong Kong 'super' cop going undercover in mainland China in order to combat a drug cartel. While there, he teams up with Inspector Yang to bring down the Chaibat crime syndicate. Although, let's be honest here, the plot in secondary to the stunts scenes, which are numerous including a fight on a train, Jackie Chan dangling from a helicopter, and the complete destruction of a military complex). There were a number of great stunt scenes in the film, not as much martial arts, and a lot more gunplay than most Jackie Chan movies. I don't think Jackie Chan's style meshes as well with the gun play as it does with martial arts fighting, which explains why it is not his best movie ever. But it is still among the best.

As for the DVD release, there's a ton of extras starting with an audio commentary track with Bey Logan on disc one. Anyone familiar with Dragon Dynasty release will be pleased with the high quality level here. Over on disc two, there are a series of interviews with star, Jackie Chan; the leading lady, Michelle Yeoh; the director, Stanley Tong; and Ken Lo, who co-starred in the movie, and is also Jackie Chan's bodyguard and training partner. All combined they have a running time of around 85 minutes, which is close to how long the movie itself is.

Supercop is the latest Dragon Dynasty release and it is sure to please fans of Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, the Police Story franchise, or of Bey Logan. If you find yourself fans of any of the above, then this is a 2-Disc Set that is worth buying. Even if you are just a casual fan of martial arts movies, this is worth at least a rental.

Swing Vote stars Kevin Costner and newcomer Madeline Carroll as father and daughter, although their dynamic is a little reversed with her basically raising her father, who has lost his way. The film starts on election day with Molly trying to convince her father to vote; however, he loses his job that day and instead of picking her up and driving her to the polling place so she can watch him exercise his civic duty, he gets drunk at the bar. Instead of letting him miss the election, she sneaks into the polling place to vote for him, but an electronic error means his vote didn't count, and according to New Mexico law, he has the right to recast his vote in a timely manner. None of this would really matter, except his vote would break the deadlock for New Mexico, which would break the deadlock for the presidential election.

In short, he gets to decide the next president of the United States.

As I mentioned last week when talking about An American Carol, there are two pitfalls that most politicalsatire falls for. One is putting the politics ahead of the comedy, the other is trying to please both sides by being "fair and balanced." An American Carol fell for the former, while Swing Vote fell for the latter. It's not a terrible movie, but it is just so mediocre. The family drama between Kevin Costner and Madeline Carroll is the best part of the movie, while the comedy is lightweight and the politics is less than convincing. It is worth checking out, but it doesn't have the replay value necessary for a purchase over a rental.

I don't think it would be unfair to say this movie bombed at the box office, so there's no surprise that the extras on the Blu-ray are a little on the light side. There's an audio commentary track with the director / co-writer and his writing partner. It's a rather standard track that doesn't really stand out compared to the others I listen to while I review movies. Next up are ten-and-a-half minutes of deleted scenes, also with optional audio commentary track, a 13-minute making-of featurette, and finally a music video.

Swing Vote is the epitome of a rental. Not a terrible movie, but not a good one either, and the extras are only average. The overall package doesn't have the replay value needed for a purchase over a rental, and when it comes to renting, neither the DVD nor the Blu-ray seem to have a solid advantage over the other.

'Til Death - Season Two - Buy from Amazon
This show is on life support right now and is currently on hiatus. It is very likely that its return will be short lived, if it returns at all. If it does disappear, I can't say that I will really miss it.

The TV series has a simple premise... it focuses on the lives of two couples that live side-by-side in their neighborhood. There's the Starks (played by Brad Garrett and Joely Fisher) who have been married 25 years or so, and are in that stage of their relationship where their personality quirks are really bugging each other. They don't hate each other; they just bug each other. Then there's the Woodcocks (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas and Kat Foster) who have been married less than two weeks, at least at the beginning of the series. The Woodcocks are still in the early stages of romance and are overly romantic toward each other, which drives the Starks mad, so the Starks spend much of their time trying to make the Woodcocks as miserable as they are.

This is not a new premise, but better writing would have helped it rise above the average. Sadly, despite a lot of talent in front of the camera, the show still feels rather tired. A TV series should not feel like it is running out of steam just two years into its run. It's not a bad show, per se, but it feels so mediocre. With a lot of competition in the sitcom genre, there's no reason to pick this TV series over countless others.

Extras on the 2-disc set include almost 8 minutes of the pre-show with Brad Garrett warming up the audience and 13 and a half minutes of outtakes. There's nothing special here and little in the way of replay value.

How stale is 'Til Death? It is a show about two married couples and their interactions, and at the end of Season Two, they got rid of one of the couples. If you enjoyed the first season enough to buy the DVD, there's little reason to stop now. However, I'm not a fan of the show, and I can't recommend anything more than renting.

Tokyo Gore Police - Buy from Amazon
A near future sci-fi film about a gang of Engineers, mutants who can turn open wounds into weapons, and the elite police squad set up to deal with them. I know next to nothing about this movie, but the simple fact that Amazon has this film, Machine Girl and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog together as common purchases has my curiosity peaked. I may have to blind buy it and give it a review later.

Walker Texas Ranger - Season Six - Buy from Amazon
Season Six starts where season five left off, with Alex in a coma after being shot during Kim and Phil's wedding. Now Cord Walker and the rest of the Rangers are off hunting those responsible. Throughout the sixth season, they also hunt down drug dealers, terrorists, kidnappers, and plenty of escaped convicts bent on revenge. (In fact, Code of the West and Special Witness have the exact same blurb on the inside of the DVD case. Fortunately, it's a misprint. Special Witness is about witness intimidation.)

Wow. This is a massive cheesefest. First of all, I never considered Chuck Norris a top-tier martial artsaction star. He's not even a second-tier martial artsaction star. ... In my opinion, he's barely above Steven Seagal. Additionally, by the time this show first aired, he was past his sell-by date, so the fight scenes were a little weak, and repetitive. I'm not just talking about showing the same move more than once from a different angle, and in slow-mo, but also using the same move over and over again in different fights. Also, the special effects were equally bad, and it's not that old. These episodes are from the 1998 to 1999 season, but it looks like the early 80s not the late 90s. I know the show was popular with a lot of people when it was on TV, but I fail to see the appeal. It is really violent, and I guess that's enough for some people. I don't mind violence; in fact, some of my favorite shows are on the violent side (Bottom, for example) but it has to be quality violence. When someone gets shot, I expect them to bleed, otherwise it feels like a bad TV show and that strains my suspension of disbelief.

There are no extras on the 5-disc set, nor are there subtitles, play-all buttons, or proper chapter placements. Truly bare bones.

Bad action, bad acting, bad fighting, bad drama, and zero special features. I find nothing really worth recommending on this 5-disc set for Walker Texas Ranger - Season Six. This is such a bare bones release, I would say that even for most casual fans, catching the show on syndication is a better deal than buying the DVD.

The movie starts in high school with two friends Zach and Ben, who are trying to survive high school and dealing with bullies, crushes, etc. We get the impression that while the two are quite different in temperament, they are fast friends and always have each other's back. Fast forward many years later and Zach is a carefree employee at a retirement home, while Ben is an overstressed lawyer who is stuck defending psychopaths when he wants to be civil rights lawyer. One day one of Zach's favorite patients, Mrs. Bessler, asks him to find her granddaughter, who just happens to be Ben's high school crush. Ben and Zack, head off to Oregon, with Nigel, Mrs. Bessler's grandson (step-grandson, to be exact) and travel into the woods of to find Heather, and hilarity ensues. Or at least that's what the filmmakers were hoping for.

This movie is being advertised as a sequel to Without a Paddle, a film from 2004 starring Dax Shepard, Matthew Lillard, and Seth Green. That movie earned terrible reviews, but made enough money to be considered a mid-level hit, especially compared to its production budget. However, this is hardly a sequel, it is virtually a remake, and a really unnecessary one at that. The original can be seen as a guilty pleasure by some, but I got no pleasure out of this movie. None at all. Bad writing, bad acting, bad everything. Entire scenes would go by and I would have trouble identifying the parts that the filmmakers thought had the potential to be funny (like the scenes with Hal Gore).

Extras on the DVD include a making-of featurette called Up the Creek, which is the name of a rather bad movie, but one that is still funnier than this. Furious Nuts is a 7-minute faux featurette on the squirrel actor from the movie. Treehouse Tales is a featurette about the treehouse from the movie. There are also four deleted scenes that run just over 1 minute combined, which emphasizes just how insignificant they are, while the extras end with five-and-a-half minutes of outtakes.